The huge “not-paid-to-attend” crowd that flocked at the Dataran Merdeka on the eve of Merdeka ‘55 – August 30 2012 — is another undisputable sign that the rakyat are unhappy with the present government. It was a Janji Demokrasi gathering to embrace Merdeka ‘55.
They massed to celebrate ‘real’ Merdeka for the rakyat and were in quest of fair and free elections, the sanctity of the Constitution, freedom of speech, a free media and social justice for all Malaysians.
There were at least 50,000, including those in casual dress – the passive supporters — and the crowd was calm and peaceful. It was an insightful pageant of patriotic Malaysians of all races, religions and creed coming together to welcome Merdeka ‘55.
They represent the peace-loving Malaysians who do not have the slightest disposition to make Malaysia a republic, change the Constitution or eliminate the Monarchy. But this was twirled and twisted to the contrary by some UMNO leaders and the lies being ruthlessly disseminated by the pro-UMNO media to deceive the people.
The spirit for change
The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympic Games commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, where a Fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics.
By the same token, in the Malaysian set-up, the Janji Demokrasi gathering has kindled the Flame of Democracy for all Malaysians and the ‘torch bearers’ are the rakyat who will throughout sustain the spirit for change and set alight hopes for the rakyat in the 13th general election.
UMNO-led government was scared shitless when thousands thronged the Dataran Merdeka for the Merdeka countdown. Those envious of the accomplishment could not stop the wave of democracy that lit the Merdeka spirit of these patriots, as the rakyat’s morale was at all-time high for the UMNO-led Barisan to contain.
It was reported that among the huge crowd were also UMNO supporters who are not happy with the sitting government.
‘Butt show’
However, the event was perceived by some to have been ‘marred’ by two incidences – the ‘butt show’ on portraits of Prime Minister Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor and the Election Commissioner, and the display of the Sang Saka Malaya flag by a few patriots to remind the people of Malaya’s history.
Malaysians, however, have learnt two lessons from these two incidences.
‘Butt show’ or ‘butt dance’ is not new in our culture. May 15, 2012 saw a group of retired armed forces’ personnel holding ‘butt exercises’ in front of the residence of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan in Bukit Damansara.
They performed a short series of exercises, bending down and shaking their buttocks in the direction of the gate.
The group had a ‘shock’ when, instead of unleashing the few Rottweil butchers' dogs she keeps closed in her house compound, sister Ambiga emerged from her house and humbly invited them to have canned drinks which she provided.
She must have sensed that these adults were exhausted after the hectic ‘dance’. They say ‘it takes a woman to tame a man’.
The ‘butt exercise’ was widely reported by the media – local and international — and our impressionistic youth must have taken a cue from this incident when they performed the same on portraits of Najib, Rosmah and the Election Commissioner on the eve of Merdeka ‘55 countdown at Dataran Merdeka.
The young are always fast learners – the incumbent education minister could testify to this pedagogical fact.
They say in Malay “Bapa borek anak rintik” (Like father like son or what the adults do the young will imitate). Our school children are taught this proverb in the school syllabus.
The young minds are vulnerable but impressionistic and would usually follow the examples shown by others, especially the adults.
The sick mentality
The nation is never void of silly episodes when it comes to politics. Besides the ‘butt exercise’ at the respectable sister Ambiga’s gate there were also disgusting chapters depicting the desecrating, stepping and urinating on portraits of leaders by some bozos.
In their elations and raptures even animals and religious images were not spared.
It was widely reported — and with clear evidence to this effect — of mobsters stepping on innocent portraits of sister Ambiga, Lim Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim and Khalid Samad. It has also been reported with evidence that mobsters had urinated on portraits of venerated Nik Aziz Nik Mat of PAS and PAS president Hadi Awang.
Adults, supposedly and ostensibly looking very ‘religious’ on the outside, had even primed ‘faeces’ cake to celebrate a chief minister’s birthday. Such is the sick mentality of some obnoxious characters in the country. And they define themselves as ‘people of religion’.
The government-controlled media did not hesitate to show some of these despicable gestures to the public to stir their emotion and erroneously thinking that the rakyat will demonise the Opposition and the NGOs by doing so. It backfired.
On 28 August 2009, a group of adults purporting to be members of the Section 23 residents association in Shah Alam, stumped the whole country when they carried out a rowdy protest outside the state government premises, where they brought along a severed cow head and proceeded to stomp and spit on it.
The incident marred the Merdeka ‘52 anniversary.
Just after the 2008 Merdeka anniversary, in early September, Gerakan became embroiled in the controversy over former Bukit Bendera UMNO division chief Ahmad Ismail’s alleged racist remarks in which he purportedly described Malaysian Chinese as ‘penumpang’ (squatters).
Gerakan leaders had demanded an apology from him and for action to be taken against the UMNO man. Instead, the stunned public saw Ahmad’s supporters tearing down a portrait of Koh Tsu Koon.
Malaysian education system
Since no action was taken against the wrongdoers by the authorities concerned, the young must have thought that it’s acceptable for them to do the same. Perhaps, the nation’s education system has not emphasised enough on ‘what is right and what is wrong’ in life in the school syllabi.
Or could it be that the emphasis on education is more on ‘what is morally or religiously incorrect’ can be ‘politically correct’?
When adults and leaders do not show good examples to the society the young will imitate them. Let’s not blame the young when they are morally loose or misbehave in society. The onus is on adults and leaders to be the exemplary.
When there is no police action against the trouble makers and mobsters the young may think that ‘all is well’ with the blights they see.
Apparently the Malaysian education system puts so much emphasis on moral education and religious studies from kindergarten to the university levels. But it seems like moral or religious values have not trickled down the conscience of some Malaysians.
The UMNO-controlled media did not show any of the offensive incidences involving Opposition figures or of those who could tarnish UMNO’s reputation for fear of a political backlash from the rakyat.
But when a student was alleged to have pointed his butt at portraits of Najib, Rosmah and the Election Commissioner he was swiftly nabbed by the police and he is now released on police bail.
This of course became ‘sizzling’ news in UMNO-controlled media. Anyway, the rakyat are all aware of UMNO’s political culture and their double-standard approach in prosecuting the wrongdoers.
A preposterous accusation
Two seemingly benign adolescents displayed the Sang Saka Malaya flag as a symbolic gesture at the Janji Demokrasi gathering, perhaps to honour the unsung heroes of independence, and this unnecessarily incurred the wrath of UMNO’s top leadership.
They quirkily twisted the issue of ‘history’ into ‘politics’ and start concocting propaganda that the Opposition are ‘up to a devious ploy’ of changing the National flag – a preposterous accusation that has not gone down well with the rakyat.
The rakyat is mindful that the mere showing of the Sang Saka Malaya flag during the occasion is no proof that the rakyat or the Opposition are determined to change the National flag. Furthermore, the mass gathering at the Dataran was not organised by the Opposition but the NGOs.
Be that as it may, the Sang Saka Malaya flag issue has been inanely politicised by UMNO much to the fury of the rakyat.
‘Political correctness’
Why become paranoid over this incident when the flag has some historical significance to the country and the Malays, for that matter?
All history students are familiar with the Sang Saka Malaya — which sports a crescent moon and an 11-pointed star in the top left corner of the flag against a two-striped red and white background. It was used by the first Malay party — Kesatuan Melayu Malaya (KMM) formed in 1938 — that had fought against the colonial British for the country’s independence.
Thus Sang Saka Malaya is part of the nation’s history. With history being taught and emphasised in school the young generation are assuredly aware of its significance from the historical perspective. They may be naïve when it comes to ‘political correctness’.
Their love for the history subject in school must have made them wave the Sang Saka Malaya flag, as there is a useful history to this flag. They must have felt that in order to cherish the future let’s not forget out past, especially those who have contributed to the struggle for Independence.
The youth, for that matter, had the scholarly wisdom not to wave the Japanese flag or the CPM (Communist Party of Malaya) flag during that occasion.
What’s more, the people are now aware that the Sang Saka flag is part of history, but at the same time they respect the Jalur Gemilang which has been chosen to symbolise the nation.
And for this reason, the rakyat are not that raw to listen to UMNO’s political propaganda.
A blurred education system
The desecration of portraits of politicians, NGO leaders and ‘religio-cultural images’ is not prompting the sitting government to think about the root causes of such acts. Are the people morally bankrupt after going through many years of education under the present education system?
If so, blame the 55-year-old UMNO-led government that has a perpetuated a blurred education system for the rakyat to ingest.
If truth be told, no right-minded would agree to indecent dances, butt shows, the desecration of leaders’ portraits or religio-cultural images. The people in general are not at all keen to change the Malaysian flag. They have no reason to do so.
They have a much auspicious agenda to attend to, which is to change the government.
Perhaps, 55 years of UMNO-Alliance-Barisan rule has made the rakyat feel jaded and bored them to tears. They are now clamouring to see a new dawn for the country. After all, this is what democracy is all about.
But this does not mean that Barisan should perish for good. Barisan perhaps can take the role of a responsible Opposition for at least five years after the next general election. They can always make a comeback after that.
After all we now have a viable two-party system and monopoly of power has already become a non-issue.
A change of government
It’s blessed that the Opposition and the rakyat in general are all made up of loyal Malaysians who love the country. Under any new government, the rakyat will still love the country, preserve the Malaysian flag and respect the Royalty.
The Constitution will always remain supreme and Negaraku will remain the national anthem.
Things are obviously not going well with UMNO-led Barisan. The Janji Demokrasi ‘awe factor’ will be the clincher for the Opposition in the next general election. The nation will see a change of government.
Malaysia Chronicle
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